I On Politics

ELECTEDS FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF ACTIVIST, IMMIGRANTS TARGETED BY ICE: House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley (D-NY) issued the following statement on the Amici Curiae brief filed by New York officials on behalf of Ravi Ragbir and other immigrant leaders who have been targeted by the Trump administration:

“Ravi Ragbir used his voice to speak out against the hate and discrimination that come each day from the White House. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him for it. President Trump has empowered ICE to stake out our schools, our hospitals, and our courthouses to detain immigrant leaders like Ravi who are protesting this administration’s deportation agenda. These predatory tactics must be stopped. I’m proud to join dozens of elected officials in New York to submit an Amici Curiae brief in support of Ravi and other immigrant leaders who found themselves targeted by ICE. We must all use our voices to ensure that President Trump’s attempts to silence and suppress our immigrant communities are not successful.”

“Today the Assembly took action against gun violence by passing commonsense legislation that would close loopholes in the law and keep New Yorkers safe. While the federal government continues debating over lifesaving gun control measures, we are confronting the issue head-on to improve background checks, keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, and prevent the mass shootings that have shaken up schools and communities across the nation. I am proud to join my colleagues in passing bipartisan solutions and will continue working with our Senate colleagues to ensure that these reforms make their way to the Governor’s desk.”

The Assembly’s gun violence prevention package includes measures to ban bump stocks, prevent individuals determined to be a danger to themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms and establish a longer waiting period before delivery of a purchased firearm to a person who has not cleared a background check. Rozic is the sponsor of the “Safe Homes Act” legislation (A.1224/S.67) that would authorize law enforcement to remove firearms on the premises where there has been a report of domestic violence.

SENATE REPUBLICANS VOTE DOWN GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION: In response to the repeated tragedies caused by gun violence, NYS Senator Toby Ann Stavisky and the New York State Senate Democrats forced votes on four firearm safety bills. The Senate Republican Majority unanimously opposed each of the measures.

“Thoughts and prayers are not enough to keep our communities safe; we need government to take action,” Senator Stavisky said. “It shouldn’t take another mass shooting to pass legislation regulating guns and it is very disappointing that the Senate Republican Majority voted against bills to combat gun violence. This is not about Second Amendment rights; it’s about ensuring firearms are out of reach of those looking to do harm to themselves or others. I will continue to support common-sense legislation to keep New Yorkers safe and to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”

The Senate Democrats forced four bills onto the Senate floor for a vote, and the Senate Republicans voted against each measure. The bills would have implemented effective background checks, established extreme risk protection orders, and banned bump stocks in New York State. The Senate Democrats also advanced legislation to create a Firearm Violence Research Institute, which is more pressing following the Trump Administration’s and the Republican Congress’ resistance to researching gun violence, Stavisky explained.

ADDABBO LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH CITY’S NEW SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR: Now that the search for a new chancellor for the New York City school system is finally over, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. is looking forward to working with the new appointee.

As the ranking member of the Senate Education Committee, Addabbo is optimistic that the new chancellor, Richard Carranza, will continue the work of current Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña after she retires at the end of March.

“Carmen Fariña has done many wonderful things for New York City schoolchildren during her tenure as schools chancellor,” Addabbo said. “I am very hopeful that Richard Carranza will continue in her footsteps and be the guiding hand that all of our schoolchildren need.”

Carranza has spent time as a superintendent in Las Vegas and served four years as the superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District before taking the position of Houston Superintendent in 2016.

Although he has experience managing schools and districts across the country, Addabbo believes Carranza will face many new challenges in helping New York City’s 1.1 million students.

“I respect Richard’s work as Superintendent of the Houston school district, especially the efforts he made in opening schools after his city was pummeled by Hurricane Harvey,” Addabbo said. “However, the New York City school system is much larger than Houston’s and can be overwhelming with the different problems facing each school. I am disappointed that Mayor de Blasio did not go with a candidate from New York City or New York State to lead our schoolchildren into the future.”

“Republicans are once again putting corporate special interests above working Americans. The GOP claimed that today’s vote was about reducing paperwork and red tape. In reality, it was about making it easier for Wall Street to increase their profits on the backs of hard-working consumers. This is simply unacceptable. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a vital resource, and its role as the safeguard of the American consumer should not just be protected but strengthened.”

MALONEY ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Congress Member Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) issued the following statement in recognition of International Women’s Day:

“International Women’s Day is a special opportunity to acknowledge the women whose struggles, contributions, and achievements have shaped our society. I have introduced a bill to establish a women’s history museum on the National Mall to help future generations learn about the women who have been leaders in every field throughout history because we should be able to draw on their example every day of the year. Too many of these stories have gone ignored and are left out of the telling of our nation’s, and our world’s, history. How do we expect to empower women if we do not recognize them?

“Throughout history, women around the world have fought for recognition and struggled in the pursuit of equal rights. These are fights that persist today, as we work to end sexual harassment, ensure equal pay for equal work, combat gun violence and achieve equal representation in the workplace, government and academia. We are inspired by countless trailblazers throughout history and we are inspired by their legacy to lead our nation in marching towards true social and political equality.

“I am energized by the resurgence of the movement for women’s equality. The torches of Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, and Abigail Adams are being carried by Tina Tchen, Emma González, and Sarah Chadwick, who are shaping a brighter future as we speak.

“And to once and for all enshrine women’s equality in the Constitution, I am working to finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Women deserve firm legal bedrock to counter discrimination. We’ve been at this fight for a long time, but International Women’s Day is a reminder that we will not give up until the women of this country are guaranteed full equality under the law.”

CROWLEY ON FEBRUARY JOBS REPORT: House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley issued the following statement on the February jobs report:

“American families have been left behind by President Trump and his administration. The Republicans’ out-of-control spending on corporate tax giveaways will not provide the type of longterm investments in working men and women that our country deserves. Our policies should be shaped by a vision to provide economic prosperity and opportunity for decades, but Republicans can’t break away from their govern-by-crisis modus operandi to pass the critical legislation that would actually provide permanent financial stability to the middle-class.”